Pyrophoric lighter



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H. KONRAD PYROPHORI C LIGHTER Filed NOV. 28, 1945 Patented Oct. 12, 1948 Hermann Konrad, Moutier, Switzerland Application November 28, 1945, Serial No. 631,300

AIn Switzerland November 27, 1944 Section 1, Public Law 690, August 8, 1946 Patent expires November 27, 1964 the type in which an inner and outer casing are telescopically arranged and telescopic movement of the casings is employed for actuating a sparking mechanism for igniting-a wick and also for extinguishing the arne. Heretofore such lighters have generally ,been complicated in design and construction and inefcientin operation. An important object of the present invention is to provide an improved lighter of this general type in which simplicity in design and construction is combined with efficiency and durability in operation.

The accompanying drawings illustrate, by way of examples, two embodiments of the object of invention,

Fig. 1 is an elevation of the ilrst embodiment,

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof,

Fig. 3 is an axial section of the iirst example,

Fig. 4 is a section along the line IV--IV in Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 is a partial upright section, showing the ignition device of the iirst embodiment,

Fig. 6 is a section along the line VI--VI in Fig. 5. going through the axis of the milling wheel,

Fig. '7 is an elevationA of the second. example, with parts broken away,

Fig. 8 shows an element of this second device, partly in section,

The lighter represented in Figs. 1 to 6 comprises two metallic tubes, viz: an outer tube I and an inner tube E, which form together a telescopical device. At one end a cover 3 is screwed to the inner tubo 2, while at its other end this tube 2 carries a hollow cylinder il closed by a plug 5 with a knurled head. This plug ii carries a pin s serving as a guide for the return spring l the action of which will be described later on. The ignition stone is illustrated at 9. The space E serves as a receiver for a wick and for the liquid fuel such. as benzine. The bottom of the cylinder i is pierced by an eccentrically arranged hole receiving the burner IIl and by a concentrically placed hole serving as a guide for the central slide-tube II. This latter is fixed to a lblock; I2 screwed to the bottom of the outer tube i by means of a bolt I3. The block i2 serves as a carrier for the milling wheel it loosely mounted on an axle I5 screwed to the block I2. The milling Wheel has notches for the transient cooperation with the catch I5 of a driving disc Il' having an abutment means 2li, This disc I1 carries a tongue i8 on which the one end of a helical spring I9 is supported, the other end of this spring abutting on a at part of the block I2. This spring has not only the tendency to I 'otate 9 claims. (ci. n- 7.1)

, 2 v the disc I'I, scen in Fig. 3, in the anticlockwlsc direction, butpresses this disc against the milling wheelM. A pin 2| serving as a stop for the abutment means `2li of the driving disc IIv is fixed to the bottom of the cylinder 4. The pin 22 screwed to the block I2 and entering a slot of tube 2 llmits the total stroke of the tube I with regard to tube 2. The outer tube Ihas a wind-ow 23 for the passage of the flame, while other windows 24 of any desired number are provided for ventilating purposes. Pin 25 prevents relative rotation between block It and tube I, i. e. an injurious change in the mutual angular position of burner IIJ and window 23. Grooves 2B in ridges of the tube 2 (Fig, 4) allow the passsage and thus the evacuation of the powder produced by the wear ofthe stone 9.

The lighter shown and l described works as follows:

One seizes the lighter horizontally between the thumb andthe foreiinger and presses upon the two bottoms against the effect of spring 1. The outer tube I is thereby displaced with regard to the inner tube 2 and takes the-milling wheel Il and the driving disc Il along. When the abutment means 2li of the driving disc Il strikes against the stop pin 2i, the disc I'Ifon further relative movement of the tubes I and 2, is rotated in the clockwise direction (seen inv Fig. 3) and. as the catch It of the, disc il enters a notch of the milling wheel it, takes the latter along in the same direction, so that, by the cooperation of wheel It and stone 9, sparks are produced, creating a name on the burner. On releasing the lighter, the tubes i and 2, under the influence of the spring l, which serves likewise for presslng the stone 9 against the wheel it, move back into their outgoing position. On this return movement the flame is extinguished when the window 243 is again covered by the inner tube 2.

In the embodiment of Figs. 7 and 8 the receiver is filled with felt which can be' removed from the receiver for being dipped into a liquid fuel. This form of performance has likewise two tubes 3i and 32 telescopically tted into each other and comprises a mechanism similar to that `of Figs, 1 to 6. Tube 32 serves as a receiver. It

is cylindrical and closed by a cover 33 which is illustrated in Fig. 8 and carries a cylindrical piece of felt Bil, pierced over its total length by a hole 36 and glued on to the cover. On removing the latter from the receiver, the piece of felt is likewise taken out, so that it can be dipped into liquid fuel. When relled, the felt piece is inserted into the receiver where it feeds the nonrepresented wick with fuel. In this way any inundation of the lighter is avoided and, nevertheless, suiiicient fuel is available for good work of the lighter.

What I claim is:

1. In a pyrophoric lighter, an inner casing and,` an outer casing telescopically arranged, a sparking mechanism comprising a, milling wheel assembly and an ignition stone, said wheel assembly being mounted within and carried by the outer casing, said inner casing having a transverse web formed intermediate the ends thereof and a closed outer end to provide a, fuel reservoir therebetween, a wick supported by said web andu extending into said fuel reservoir, and means vcarried by the web for actuating the wheel assembly to produce a spark for igniting the wick upon compression of the casings.

2. In a pyrophoric lighter, the combination oi an inner casing and an outer casing telescopically arranged, a sparking mechanism comprising a milling wheel assembly and an ignition stone, said wheel assembly being carried by the outer casing and disposed within said casing, said inner casing having a transverse web and a closed outer with one another but adapted to be brought 111120 alinement when the telescopic members are coilapsed to admit air to the Acombustion chamber,

" said sparking mechanism comprising va. milling end providing a fuel reservoir therebetween, Y

means attached to the web and engageable with the wheel assembly iorrotatably` actuating the latter upon compression of the casings, a wick supported by said web, said inner casing having a longitudinal slot, and a transverse pin carried by the wheel assembly and engaged in said slot to limit relative movement of the casings.

3. In a pyrophorlc lighter, provided with a fuel reservoir and a wick extending into said reservoir, an inner casing and an outer casing .telescopically arranged, to form-a combustion chamber, a sparking mechanism comprising a milling wheel and a support for said milling wheel, said support being carried by said outer casing and being provided with an integral, elongated tubular portion, a cooperating tubular'member located within said inner casing and having reciprocal, telescopic engagement with said elongated tubular portion upon telescopic movement of the inner and outer casings, an ignition stone disposed within sai-d elongated tubular portion, resilient means urging said stone into engagement with the milling wheel and means for actuating the sparking mechanism upon telescopic movement of the caslngs to ignite said wick.

4. In a pyrophoric lighter having a fuel reservoir and a wick, an inner casing and an outer' casing telescopically arranged, said casings having closed outer ends toafford a substantially scopicaily arranged chambers and having window openings normally out of alinement with one another but adapted to be brought into alinement when the telescopic members are collapsed to admit air to the combustion chamber, a milling wheel in the combustion chamber, said wheel being carried by the outer casing, an ignition stone in the chamber, means within the combustion chamber to actuate the milling wheel during collapsing movement of the casings to produce a spark and ignite the wick, and resilient means tending to maintain the'casings normally extended, said resilient means additionally serving to maintain the ignition stone in yielding engagementwith the milling wheel.

5. In a pyrophoric lighter, provided Jwith a wick and a'sparking mechanism, an innercasingand an outer casing telescopically arranged, said casings-having closed outer ends to afford a subairtight combustion chamber within said tele-A wheel assembly located in the combustion chamber and carried by the outer casing, and means` associated with the milling wheel assembly and engaging the `inner casing for limiting relative movement between the inner and outer casings.

6. In a pyrophoric lighter provided with a fuel container and a wick extending into said conto admit air to the combustion chamber, a sparka ing mechanism comprising a milling wheel assembly located in the combustion chamber and supported by the outer casing, an ignition stone in engagement with the milling wheel and means to actuate said .milling wheel to ignite the wick towards the end only of the collapsing movement of said casings.

7. In a pyrophoric lighter, the combination of inner and outer telescopic casing members having windows therein which are staggered when the members are extended to provide a substantially air tight chamber therein and juxtapositioned when the members are collapsed to admit air to the chamber, a fuel reservoir within the inner casing a wick within said chamber and extending into the fuel reservoir, a milling wheel within said chamber, said wheel being supported by the outer casing memberp an ignition stone also within said chamber, resilient means holding the stone in continuous contact with the wheel, and

8. In a pyrophoric lighter an inner casingI and an outer casing telescopically arranged, said casings having closed outer ends to provide a substantially air-tight combustion chamber therein v and having window openings normally out of alinement with one another.v but adapted to be brought into,V alinement when the telescopic casing members are collapsed to admit air to the combustion chamber, a sparking mechanism comprising a milling wheel assembly located in the combustion chamber, an ignition'stone in engagementwith the milling wheel, a Wick,`means to actuate said milling wheel to ignite said wick, a fuel reservoir into which said wick extends, said reservoir being provided with an inlet, absorbent material in said reservoir, and a removable plug for said inlet at least some of the absorbent masembly being mounted within said casings, 'said.

inner casing having a transverse web formed intermediate the ends thereof and a closed outerend to provide a fuel reservoir therebetween, said web being. provided .with a depending tubular member, a lwick extending into said reservoir and means for actuating the wheel assembly` to produce a spark for ignitng the wick upon compression'of the casings, said lighter consisting essentially of four separable parts: (1) the outer casing (2) the inner casing (3) the ignition wheel assembly and (4) resilient means located Within the tubular member tending to maintain the casings normally extended.

HERMANN KONRAD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Battey Jan. 5, 1909 Number Number Number Certificate of Correction Patent No. 2,451,188. October 12, 1948.

HERMANN KONRAD It is hereby certiiedthat errors appear in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows:

Column 4, lines 68 and 69, for "milling sparking mechanism read milling 'wheel assembly; lines 69 and 70, for Wheel assembly read sparking mechanism;

and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 18th day of January, A. D. 1949.

THOMAS F. MURPHY,

Assistant Uommissioner of Patents. 

